Mystery Babylon, Revelation 17:1-5

 

“Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, Revelation 17:1.

The first time I read this chapter, it sounded like it was written in Greek.

It was written in Greek, originally.

Oh yeah, well, it felt like it was still, written in Greek.

However, the Holy Spirit is a Good Teacher, and He simplified it for folks like me. And, perhaps John was scratching his head, too; because  in verse seven, the angel says, “I will tell you the mystery..."

Like any good mystery, you don’t find out whodunnit, until the end. To unlock the mystery of this first verse we'll jump to the end of the chapter and see the identity of the great harlot, the judgement she receives and the meaning of, many waters.

The very last verse, tells us the great harlot is actually a great city. “And the woman whom you saw is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth.” Revelation 17:18.

Verse 16, paints a gruesome, graphic picture of, the judgement, of the great harlot. “...these will hate the harlot, make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn her with fire.”

Verse 15, tells us, 'The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues.' 

So, putting that all together, we see a great city, with worldwide influence, will be destroyed.

More is revealed as we go along; however, since the great city is referred to as a great harlot, we get the impression she’s more like Vegas, than Mayberry.

with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication.” Revelation 17:2.

Fornication: porneúō (porn-yoo'-o). To commit sexual immorality. Figuratively: to be unfaithful to Christ, while posing as His true follower. 

Porneúō, as in pornography. A perversion of the love relationship. Something God created as wonderful and good, the devil has perverted into something wicked and vile.

This is not (only) talking about physical fornication; it’s a pervasive cancer, corrupting body, soul, and spirit.

God refers to His people, His Church, as His Bride. False religion, to God, is spiritual adultery, idolatry, fornication, porneúō; wicked and vile.

Notice they are made, drunk, as so often is the foreplay of fornication.

The drunken delusion, is already at work in our world today. The minds of some “leaders” are so far gone, that they think it good to say, “Vote for me, and I’ll help you slaughter your babies. I’ll fight so big Bubba, can take showers with little Suzie, because, come-on-man—he feels like a woman.”

Worse yet, the delusional masses are drinking the poisonous wine of her fornication.

This has gone beyond an individual choice to lead a sinful lifestyle. It has become a religion.

Folks will promote evil things, vile things, wicked things, just because it’s the talking point of their party. Even folks who call themselves Christian, will blindly follow the delusion, parroted by the system, their new, one world system…religion.  

This should be of no surprise, or mystery, or Greek, to those of us who believe the Word of God is True, and that this Book of Revelation, is Prophecy, not just allegory or story, but…HIS-tory, told in advance.

Blessed are those who read, hear and keep, the words of this prophecy. Revelation 1:3

 The Bible clearly warns us of these days:

Because they reject Truth, God has given them delusion. 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12.

Furthermore, since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, He gave them up to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. Romans 1:28.

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 1 Peter 5:8.

 

Revelation 17:3-5

So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.

 The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication.  And on her forehead a name was written:

MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT,

THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS

AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS

OF THE EARTH.

Now, the picture becomes clearer.

The city the harlot represents is Babylon. You may recall a clue, at the end of the previous chapter, letting us know, Babylon was being painted into the picture.

 “And great Babylon was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath.” Revelation 16:19b.

 

If we were in an art gallery, we’d sit on a bench in front of this painting of Babylon. We’d reflect on the lines, colors, and texture, and listen to the story it tells.

Babylon is referred to around 300 times in the Bible; second only to Jerusalem. In a way, you might say, the Bible is a tale of two cities. Babylon, (from Babel, which means confusion). And Jerusalem, which means peace.

God is not the author of confusion, but of peace… 1 Corinthians 14:33.

The birth of Babylon goes all the way back to Genesis. Not long after the flood. Noah’s great grandson, Nimrod, was the founder.

They decided not to follow God’s standing command, that started with Adam, and then was restated again to Noah, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.”

Nimrod and his clan, decided, we don’t want to fill the earth, we like it right here; the only direction we’re going, is up.

“Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.” Genesis 11:4.

The folks were so impressed with Mr. Nimrod, that he became an object of worship. Legend has it, that Mrs. Nimrod had a miraculous pregnancy, a son was born, but later, he was killed, and then, raised to life again. Before long, they were considered deity, and worshipped.

Notice, they wanted the tower to be, “in the heavens.” This is the beginning of the demonic system of religion, the occult, and astrology.

One more thing. The whole building program was built on self; me, myself and I. Let us, build ourselves, let us, make a name for ourselves.

The same “I” problem as lucifer.

‘I will ascend into heaven,
I will exalt my throne above the stars of God;
I will also sit on the mount of the congregation
On the farthest sides of the north;
¹⁴ I will ascend above the heights of the clouds,
I will be like the Most High.’
¹⁵ Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol,
To the lowest depths of the Pit.

Isaiah 14:12-17.

We have the same "I" problem today.

i use my i phone, i pad, i pod, so i can take pictures of me, so i can build a tower of likes to the heavens so i can be a star 

God's not impressed.                                

However, He acknowledged, that nothing the folks at Babel imagined to do, would be impossible to them, because they were united as one, with one tongue. Genesis 11:6.

Wow! What a lesson.

The devil knows it. The world does it. We hear it, repeatedly, in the newest mantra, parroted from main stream media.

Jesus prayed it in John 17, “Father, make them one, as We are One…” John 17.

Lord Jesus, we agree with Your prayer. We need Your wisdom and discernment, to focus on being one with You, so we don’t fall into the confusion of Babel, trying to be one with each other.   

We know the rest of the story. God confused their language, (thus, the name Babel; which means: confusion). Without communication; cooperation and construction failed, and they separated into various tribes, tongues and nations.

The same evil entity that inspired the confusion and false unity at Babel, is the same invisible force today building a false religion built on false unity.

There is a two-pronged Babylon being built right before our very eyes. A new world order with a one world religion, and a one world government. A spiritual Babylon and a Commercial Babylon.

The great harlot, is spiritual Babylon; who rises to power on the back of the antichrist.

Commercial Babylon, is already well underway. Governments are failing, economies are collapsing, all is falling into place, for the end of the age. 

Lord willing, next time, we'll take a close look at Commercial Babylon.

  

Make no mistake, it is all happening, just as He says.

Are you ready?

 

Let’s pray.

Lord Jesus, we admit, at times these words sound like Greek, the ideas like Babel. But we know with our heart, even if not so much with our head; we know, You are real, Your Words, we can feel. So we, like children, simply come to You. We want to draw so close, that it’s just like we’re one, with You.

We love You, we trust You, we need You, forever.

Amen.